Combination lock



Dec. 23, 1947. A.-RAB AL ETAL COMBINATION LOCK Filed May 27, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Dec. 23, 1947. I RABAL ET AL 2,433,157

h COMBINATION LOCK Filed May 27, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Dec. 23, T947 COMBINATION LOCK Alfredo Rab-a1 and Antonio Rodriguez, Buenos Aires, Argentina Applicat on May 27, 1946, Serial No, 672,444- In Argentina May 28, 1945 9 Claims.

Our present invention refers to certain novel and useful improvements in combination looks.

The main object of our invention consists in providing a novel lock mechanism for use in door looks as well as in padlocks, which is of relatively simple construction as compared with the known generally very complicated combination locks.

One object of our invention is to provide a novel combination-lock mechanism, comprising at least one pinion and at least one rack, this rack having one broad tooth formed by two adjacent teeth without the usual clearing space between them and said pinion having at least one clearing space tween two adjacent teeth of a width correspondof a width corresponding to said broad tooth of u said rack so that co-operation of the latter with said pinion is rendered possible only if their relative positions are correctly adjusted in accordance with a predetermined combination of numbers.

Another object of our invention is to provide a novel combination-lock mechanism, comprising a pair of pinions and a pair of racks, these racks having each one broad tooth formed by two adjacent teeth without the usual clearing space between them and said pinions having each one clearing space of a width corresponding to said broad tooth of each of said racks so that co-operation of the latter with said pinions is rendered possible only if their relative positions are correctly adjusted in accordance with a predetermined combination of numbers.

A further object of'our invention is to provide a novel combination-lock mechanism, comprising two pairs of pinions and one rack for co-operating with one pair of said pinions, said rack having a broad tooth formed by two adjacent teeth without the usual clearing space between them and said pinions having a plurality of clearing spaces of a width corresponding to said broad tooth of said rack, so that said rack and pinion co-operation is rendered possible only if their relative positions are correctly adjusted in accordance with a predetermined combination of numbers, said rack being an integral part of the shackle of a padlock and said pinions being mounted on a shaft provided with a pair of knobs, one on each surface of the padlock, for rotating said'shaft and operating the lock mechanism.

Still another object of our invention consists in providing a novel combination-lock mechanism, comprising a shaft, at least one pair of pinions; mounted on said shaft and at least one rack for being operated by said pinions, said rack having a broad tooth formed by two adjacent teeth without the usual clearing space between them and said pinions having at least one clearing space being to said broad tooth of said rack so that cooperation of the latter with said pinions is rendered possible only if their relative positions are correctly adjusted in accordance with a predetermined combination of numbers, means for varying and adjusting the relative positions of said pinions to each other, and means for indicating the correct relative positions of said pinions in accordance with a given selected combination of numbers.

With these objects in view and others more particularly explained in the following description and clearly set forth in the appended claims, the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings which show, by way of examples only, two specific embodiments of our combination-lock mechanism as incorporated in a door lock and in a padlock, and on which:

Figure l is a horizontal sectional view taken along the line l-I of Figure 3, showing the mechanical structure of a door lock according to our invention;

Figure 2 is a top view of the same look as applied to a door;

Figure 3 is a vertical section along the line 3-3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a vertical section along the line 4-4 of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a front elevation of the lock shown in Figures 1 to 4, and

Figure 6 is a front view of the bolt or latch of said lock.

Figure '7 is an elevation showing the inner surface of one of the two halves of a padlock, according to the invention, with the corresponding shackle in its locked position;

Figure 8 is a vertical section along the line 88 of Figure 7;

Figure 9 is a horizontal section along the line 99 of Figure '7, and

Figure 10 is a front elevation of the padlock shown in Figures '7 to 9.

Referring to the accompanying drawings and more particularly to Figures 1 to 6 inclusive, the combination door lock according to our invention comprises ashaft I, a pinion 2 fixedly mounted on a gudgeon 3 of said shaft, and a second pinion loosely mounted on said gudgeon. The shaft gudgeon 3 has a screw-threaded end l2 bearing a nut l I which by means of a washer ll'l presses a second washer 5 against the shoulder formed by said gudgeon 3 and its end portion [2, The wash er 5 is provided with a laterally extending portion or crank pin 6 adapted to act upon a pin 1 provided on an internally screw-threaded washer 8, which by means of the screw-threads thereof is fixedly mounted on an externally screw-threaded portion of a shouldered sleeve 9 of the pinion 4. Thus, when the shaft I rotates, the washer will rotate, too, and will cause the pin 1 to be moved around with the result that the washer 8, sleeve 9 and pinion 4 will also rotate.

The reference numeral I3 indicates the casing of the lock, the rear wall of which is provided with a hole I4 adapted to form a bearing for the inner portion I5 of the shouldered sleeve 9.

The lock bolt I6 is suitably guided between the inner walls I! and I8 (Figures 3 and 4) of the casing l3 and is maintained in its normal locking position by a spring 31 surrounding a pin 38 and acting upon the inner upper end of the lock bolt IS. The lock bolt comprises an upper rack portion I9 and a lower rack portion 2| which are provided with a broad tooth 20 and 22, respectively, formed by two adjacent teeth without the usual clearing space between them. The rack portions I9 and 2| are arranged as shown in Figure 6 in different vertical planes of the body of the lock bolt I5 and in such a manner that the upper rack portion l9 engages the pinion 4 and that the lower rack portion 2| engages the pinion 2 when the latter is moved from its intermediate inoperative position as shown in Figure 1 to its operative position in alignment with said lower rack portion 2|. Corresponding to the broad teeth 20 and 22 of the rack portions I9 and 2|, the pinions 4 and 2 are provided each with a clearing space 4' and 2, respectively, sufficient to engage said broad teeth, said clearing spaces being simply formed by cutting away one of the teeth of each of said pinions.

The casing I3 includes a pair of vertical blades 23 provided with holes 24 for fastening the look by means of suitable screws (not shown) in a door, drawer or the like, and a front wall 25 (Figures 2 and 5) which is fixed in place by means of the screws 26 engaging the holes 21 (Figures 3 and 4). The front wall 25 of the casing [3 forms a sleeve like portion 28 supporting the shaft I, and a flange 29 provided at the front end of said sleeve 28. On the front surface of this flange there is marked a scale showing as many equidistant marks as teeth are provided on the pinions 2 and 4 including the one which has been cut away to provide for the clearing spaces 2' and 4'. Supposing these pinions have sixty teeth, said scale has to show sixty marks conveniently numbered 1 to 60.

The front end of the shaft I is formed by a stem 30 which, fixed by means of a splint 3| or the like, carries a pointer 32 and a knob 33 held in its correct position by a fitting screw 35 engaging an internally screw-threaded hole 34 of the stem 30 and pressing the knob 33 and the pointer 32 against the shoulder 36.

The reference numeral 39 (Figure 2) indicates an annular cover adapted to cover the hole of a door, drawer or the like. through which extends the shaft I of the lock, said cover being fixed in place by means of nails 40 or the l ke.

The operation of the combination door look as hereinbefore described with reference to the Figures 1 to 6 inclusive is as follows:

In order to clearly explain the operation of the lock, it has to be mentioned that the upper rack portion I9 of the lock bolt I6 is as short as shown in Figures 3 and 4, whereas the lower rack portion 2|, which has been shown in. F r

3 partly broken away, is of sufliclent length to always secure an operative engagement of the same by the pinion 2 as shown in Figure 4.

Now suppose the bolt I6 is in its locking condition and all other component parts are in their positions as shown in Figures 1 to 5, and suppose the combination of numbers to which the lock responds is that of twenty and fifty, for the purpose of opening a door to which the lock is applied, we proceed as follows: we first turn the knob 33 to the left until the crank pin 6 encounters the pin 1, and we continue turning the knob in the same direction until the pointer 32 indicates the number twenty on the scale 29 (Figure 5). By this operation the pin I by means of the washer 8 and the sleeve 9 moves the pinion 4 to its position as shown in Figure 3, in which its clearing space 4 is left in the correct position to take up that broad tooth 20 of the upper rack portion I9 of the lock bolt I6 when the latter is moved into the lock casing l3 by the pinion 2, becaus the rotation of the pinion 4 as aforesaid does not cause the withdrawal of the lock bolt I6.

After thus adjusting the pinion 4, we now turn the knob 33 to the right until the pointer 32 indicates the number fifty, which is the second one of the aforementioned combination, thereby moving the pinion 2 to its position as shown in Figure 4, but without rotating the second pinion 4 due to that the latter is loosely mounted on the shaft gudgeon 3 and so that the crank pin 6 now is not acting upon the pin I. In the said position of the pinion 2 its clearing space 2 is left in the correct position to take up the broad tooth 22 of the lower rack portion 2| of the lock bolt I6, provided said pinion 2 be moved from its intermediate position as shown in Figure 1 into alignment with the rack 2|, for which purpose we smoothly pull the knob 33 outwards thereby bringing the pinion 2 into alignment and engagement with said rack 2|, without imparting any axial movement to the pinion 4. Hereafter, we continue turning the knob 33 to the right and cause the pinion 2 to withdraw the lock bolt I6. As the pinion 4 remains in its adjusted position, the same does not prevent the upper rack I9 from moving inwards and the lock bolt from being withdrawn, against the pressure of the spring 31. After thus opening the door, we let go the knob 33 and then the lock bolt I 6 is returned to its locking position by the pressure of said spring 31. Finally, we turn the knob 33 to the left until the crank pin 6 engages the pin 1 and turns the same around moving the pinion 4 out of its adjusted position, thereby simultaneously disadjusting the pinion 2.

From the aforegoing description it will be readily understood that the combination of numbers may be changed at any time by loosening the knob 33 and the nut II and thereafter changing the position of the pointer 32 and of the washer 5.

Referring now to Figures 7 to 10 inclusive of the accompanying drawings, the same illustrate the embodiment of our present invention in a padlock, the casing of which is composed of the two halves IN and I02 and which is provided with the two usual holes I03 and I04 for receiving the ends of the shackle I05. Both lock halves I0! and I02 have a central perforation I06 for rotatively supporting a composite shaft which comprises two identical separate parts each composed of a disk-like portion I01, a stem portion H2 and a knob I08. The stem portions II2 have 5 their inner" ends disposed opposite each other and. each of these portions carries two pinions M and III- fixed tether disk-like portions [01 by means of bolts or screws H3" and housed in ch cular recesses I09 provided on the inner" surface of the two lock halves IN and I02.

The two pinions I'I'0 'and II'I have certain of their teeth cut away so as to provide enlarged clearing spaces, the arrangement being such that the two pinions H0 have"- each but'on'e clearing space H4, whereas the two pinionsil l, having every tenth tooth cut "away, have a number of clearing spaces I I5, for the purposes as will be hereinafter explained.

Each of the pinions III' co-operates with a pawl II 5 provided with a spring II! which by means of a set screw H8 is held in place'and under pressure within a small recess formed in the bottom portion of each of the halves IN and I02 of the lock casing (Figure 8).

The end I I9 of the shackle I05 is provided with circumferential grooves I: forming a rack adapted to be engaged by the teeth of the two pinions IIO, the arrangement of said grooves being such that the same form one of the rack teeth I2I of a breadth corresponding to the enlarged clearing space II4 of the; pinions 0, for the purpose as will be hereinafter explained.

The shackle I 05 immediately above its rack portion I I9, I20, I21, comprises a circumferential. notch I22, which permits the pinions I I 0' to freely rotate as long as the shackle is in its locking condition. The other end I23 of the shackle I05 is inserted into the hole I04 while in its locking position. V

The reference numeral I24 indicates a number of holes provided in the two halves I0'I and I02 of the lock casing for receiving suitable bolts, screws or rivets to fixedly join saidhalves.

The two knobs I08 are provided each with a radial groove I25 which permits localizing by sense of touch a pointer: mark I26 and determining its position, when it is dark, with relation to the numbers marked on an annular. scale surrounding each knob I03 (Figure 10) these scales having as many marks as teeth are provided on the pinions H0 and III. One of the knobs I08 has its outer surface provided with a number of concentric grooves I21 for the purpose of distinguishing the same from the other knob which is left without such circular grooves.

The operation of this padlock incorporating our invention is as follows:

Suppose the lock mechanism is in its locking condition and the combination of numbers to which it responds is that of 24 for the grooved knob and 33 for the plain knob, for the purpose of unlocking the shackle in darkness, we proceed in t following manner; We first turn both knobs I08 in such a way that their radial grooves I25 are in vertical condition and the marks I26 indicate the number 60 of Figure 10. Hereafter we slowly turn the grooved knob I08 to the right thereby rotating the two pinions H0 and III associated with said knob. While rotating the pinion III, the same acts upon the pawl II6 against the pressure of the spring 1, and the successive movements of this pawl produce audible signals, every tenth of which is a different one due to that the pawl then enters the enlarged clearing spaces II5 of the pinion III. By counting these signals it is very easy to adjust the grooved knob I08 so that its pointer mark I26 indicates the number 24 of the scale. In the same manner the plain knob I08 is adjusted at 6 the number 33. For the event that th signals are not sufi'iciently audible, it will be appreciated that by sense of touch it will be readily possible to count'the successive steps of the pinions III:

according to the successive movements of" the pawls II6 into the clearing spaces between the teeth of said pinions.

By these adjustments of the knobs I08 the pinions I'I0 are turned to" the positions as illust'rated' in Figure 7, in which their enlargedclearing spaces II 4 are so disposed as 'to take up the enlarged tooth I2I- of the rack portion I I9, I20, I2I of the shackle I05, with the result that now the shackle may be moved upwards to its unlocked condition. This will not be possible if one or both of the two pinions III) are not correctly adjusted in accordance with the predetermined combination of numbers.

It will be understood that the present invention is by no means restricted to the specific em bodiments as described and illustrated, but that various amendments and changes may be made therein and that such amendments and changes are to be considered as falling within the scopeof this invention as clearly outlined and set forth in the following claims.

What we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a combination look, a lock mechanism comprising at least one pinion and at least one rack for co-operating with said pinion, one broad tooth formed on said rack by two adjacent teeth without the usual clearing space between them, and at least one enlarged clearing space provided on said pinion of a width corresponding to said broad tooth of said rack, and means for adjusting said pinion with regard to said rack in accordance with a predetermined combination of numbers.

2. In a combination look, a lock mechanism comprising a pair of pinions and a pair of racks for co-operating with said pinions, one broad tooth formed on each of said racks by two adjacent teeth without the usual clearing space between them, and one enlarged clearing space provided on each of saidpinions of a width corresponding to said broad teeth of said racks, and means for adjusting said pinions with regard to said racks in accordance with a predetermined combination of numbers.

3'. In a combination look, a lock mechanism comprising two pairs of pinions and one rack for co-operating with one pair of said pinions, one broad tooth formed on said rack by two adjacent teeth without the usual clearing space between them, one enlarged clearing space provided on each of the two pinions co-operating with said rackof a width corresponding to said broad tooth of said rack, and a number of like enlarged clearing spaces on each of the remaining two pinions, means for co-operating with these last-mentioned pinions and the enlarged clearing spaces provided thereon to facilitate the adjustment of said two rack-engaging pinions, and means for adjusting the latter with regard to said rack in accordance with a predetermined combination of numbers.

4. A combination lock, comprising a casing, a locking member movably mounted in said casing, at least one rack portion provided in said locking member and at least one pair of independent pinions for engaging said rack portion of said locking member, one broad tooth formed on said rack portion by two adjacent teeth thereof without the usual clearing space between them and at least one enlarged clearing space provided on each of said pinions for engaging said broad tooth of said rack portion, and means for adjusting said pinions with regard to said rack portion in accordance with a predetermined combination of numbers.

5. A combination door lock, comprising a casing, a lock bolt movably mounted in said casing, two rack portions provided at the innerend of said lock bolt and two independent pinions for engaging said rack portions, one broad tooth formed on each of said rack portions by two adjacent teeth thereof without the usual clearing space between them and one enlarged clearing space provided on each of said pinions for engaging said broad teeth of said rack portions, a shaft for mounting said pinions, and means in connection with said shaft for adjusting said pinions with regard to said rack portions in accordance with a predetermined combination of numbers.

6. A combination padlock, comprising a casing, a locking shackle movably mounted in said casing, a rack portion formed at one end of said shackle and a pair of independent pinions for engaging said rack portion of said shackle, one broadtooth formed on said rack portion by two adjacent teeth without the usual clearing space between them and one enlarged clearing space provided on each of said pinions for engaging said broad tooth of said rack portion, two separate shaft portions for independently mounting said two pinions, and means in connection with said shaft portions for adjusting said pinions with regard to said rack portion in accordance with a predetermined combination of numbers.

7. A combination padlock, comprising a casing, a locking shackle movably mounted in said casing, a rack portion formed at one end of said shackle and a pair of independent pinions for engaging said rack portion of said shackle, one broad tooth formed on said rack portion by two adjacent teeth without the usual clearing space between them and one enlarged clearing space provided on each of said pinions for engaging said broad tooth of said rack portion, two separate shaft portions for independently mounting said two pinions, an operating knob provided on each shaft portion for rotating the same, a second pinion mounted on each shaft portion and a springloaded pawl for co-operating with each of these last-mentioned pinions, a radial groove provided on the outer surface of each of said operating knobs and a pointer mark coinciding with said radial groove provided on the edge of each of said knobs to indicate a number of an annular scale provided on the front and rear surfaces of the lock casing around said knobs for adjusting the first-mentioned pair of pinions with regard to the rack portion of the shackle in accordance with a predetermined combination of numbers.

8. A combination door lock, comprising a casing, a lock bolt movably mounted in said casing,

two rack portions provided at the inner end of said lock bolt and two independent pinions for engaging said rack portions, one broad tooth formed on each of said rack portions by two adjacent teeth thereof without the usual clearing space between them and one enlarged clearing space provided on each of said pinions for engaging said broad tooth of said rack portions, a shiftable shaft for fixedly mounting thereon one of said pinions and for loosely mounting thereon the other pinion, a, knob provided at the outer end of said shaft for shifting and rotating the same together with said first-mentioned pinion, and means provided at the opposite end of said shaft for transmitting the rotating movement of the latter to said other pinion, and a pointer and-a scale of numbers provided in connection with said operating knob for adjusting said pinions with regard to said rack portions in accordance with a predetermined combination of numbers of said scale.

9. A combination door lock, comprising a casing, a lock bolt movably mounted in said casing, a spring for maintaining said bolt in its normal locking position, an upper rack portion and a lower rack portion provided at the inner end of the lock bolt and on different vertical planes of the latter, a first pinion co-operating the upper rack portion and a second pinion normally disposed in an intermediate position between the vertical planes of said upper and lower rack portions and adapted to engage said lower rack portion, a shaft slidably and rotatively mounted in a sleeve formed by the lock casing for loosely mounting thereon said first pinion and for fixedly mounting thereon said second pinion, said rack portions having each one broad tooth formed by two adjacent teeth Without the usual clearing space between them and said pinions having each one enlarged clearing space of a width corresponding to said broad teeth for engaging the latter, said shaft comprising an operating knob and a pointer extending outwards over an annular scale of numbers for directly adjusting said second pinion With regard to said lower rack portion in accordance with one scale number of a predetermined combination and for indirectly adjusting said first pinion with regard to said upper rack portion in accordance with a second scale number of said combination by means of a crank pin adapted to act upon another pin provided on a washer which by means of a sleeve is rigidly connected with said first pinion.

ALFREDO RABAL. ANTONIO RODRIGUEZ.

REFERENCES CITED UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Lamb Dec. 17, 1867 Number 

